photos by Todd Newcomer

Hidden south of Dove Creek and west of Cortez are 164,000 acres of public lands dotted with archaeological sites and the remains of the Puebloan culture. With more than 6,000 recorded sites, and in some places up to 100 per square mile, a trip through the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is a journey of discovery. Intermixed among cattle, farm land and the never-ending desert, rest the history and traditions of a culture now extinct. Located at the southern end of Canyon of the Ancients lies Hovenweep National Monument, extraordinary in both its magnitude and intimacy. A day in the desert exploring Canyons of the Ancients truly epitomizes the staggering scope of history and culture that the Four Corners has to offer.